Rose plant seedling No. 71-86L

ABSTRACT

A new variety of rose plant developed for commercial greenhouse culture and the commercial production of cut flowers, particularly distinguished by its abundant year around production of medium large flowers having an unusual lavender color and a strong tea fragrance. This new plant is a floribunda having a free and vigorous growth habit, one to three buds being borne on a strong stem of medium length which may be commercially disbudded to present a single blossom having a strong, erect peduncle of medium length.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

My new variety of rose plant is a cross of Sterling Silver (U.S. PlantPat. No. 1,433) with an unnamed seedling, identified in my breedingrecords as No. 63-10L, as the pollen parent. The cross resulting in thisplant was made by me at Richmond, Indiana, in the Spring of 1970 withthe object of creating a floribunda variety that would have thefragrance and good color of its hybrid tea seed parent and yet haveimproved vigor and greater flower production throughout the entire year.This seedling produced its first flower in the Fall of 1971 and wasobserved to have the characteristics which I sought as well as a veryunusual coloring and was therefore selected for propagation and test.Reproduction was done under my direction by budding and succeedingreproductions, by budding, at Richmond, Indiana, and Hamilton City,California, have demonstrated that the distinguishing characteristics ofthis new variety are firmly fixed and hold true.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

My new variety of rose plant is illustrated by the accompanying fullcolor photographic drawing which shows the form and color of the newlyopened and mature blossoms, specimens of buds, a specimen of younggrowth of wood and foliage, and top and under side views of typicalleaves, the colors shown being as nearly true as can be reasonablyexpected from conventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

The following is a description, in detail, of my new variety of roseplant, with color designations according to Koster's Color Guide (K) andthe Horticultural Colour Chart (HCC) by Robert F. Wilson as published bythe Royal Horticultural Society at London, England, the following databeing from observations of greenhouse plants grown at Richmond, Indiana.

THE PLANT

Origin: Seedling.

Parentage:

Seed parent.--Sterling Silver (PP 1433).

pollen parent.--Unnamed and unpatented. Seedling No. 63-10L.

Classification:

Botanical.--Hybrid rose.

Commercial.--Floribunda.

Form: Bush.

Habit: Upright and much branched.

Growth: Free and vigorous.

Canes: Straight, strong and of medium diameter and length.

Main Stems.--Color--Spinach Green 0960/2 (HCC). Thorns--Few, straightand of medium length with a short, broad base. Color--Lilac, Plate No.48 (K). Prickles--Few. Color--Lilac, Plate No. 48 (K). Hairs--None.

Branches.--Color--Spinach Green 0960/1 (HCC). Thorns--Few, straight andshort with a short, narrow base. Color--Sap Green 62/3 (HCC) the basebeing tinted with Solferino Purple 26/3 (HCC). Prickles and Hairs--None.

New Shotts.--Color--Oxblood Red 00823/2 (HCC) shaded with Spinach Green0960/2 (HCC). Thorns--Few, straight and of medium length with a short,narrow base. Color--Indian Lake 826/2 (HCC) with Sap Green 62/3 (HCC) atthe tip. Prickles--Few. Color--Indian Lake 826/2 (HCC) with Sap Green62/3 (HCC) at the tip. Hairs--None.

Foliage: Quantity --Abundant.

Leaves;--Large and odd pinnate in shape.

Leaflets.--3 to 7 in number.

Shape.--Ovoid, with an acute apex, round base and a simply serratemargin.

Texture.--Moderately heavy.

Aspect.--Glossy.

Color.--Mature Leaf: Upper Surface --Nearest color Spinach Green 0960/2(HCC). Under Surface --Cedar Green, Plate No. 80 (K). Young Leaf: UpperSurface --Oxblood Red 00823/2 (HCC) shaded with Spinach Green 0960/1(HCC). Under Surface --Garnet Brown 00918/2 (HCC).

rachis.--Heavy, with smooth, grooved upper side and moderately pricklyunder side.

Stipules.--Medium in length and width with short points and turningoutward at an angle less than 45° from the rachis.

THE BUD

Before calyx breaks:

Size.--Medium small.

Form.--Short pointed, with a conspicuous neck and foliaceous appendageson the surface of the bud which have slender parts extending beyond thebud tip for a distance of about 1/4 or more of the bud length.

Color of Calyx.--Scheeles Green 860/3 (HCC).

As calyx breaks:

Color.--Erythrite Red 0027 (HCC).

As first petal opens:

Bud Size.--Medium large.

Form.--Short pointed.

Color of Petals.-- Outside--Nearest color Magenta, Plate No. 50 (K).Inside--Upper portion Lilac Purple 031/1 (HCC) with base of EmpireYellow 603/3 (HCC).

sepals.--Permanent, of medium length and generally straight. ColorInside--Scheeles Green 860/3 (HCC) overlaid with white fuzz.Outside--Scheeles Green 860/2 (HCC).

Bud Opening: The bud opens up well in greenhouse.

Peduncle: Strong, erect and of medium length and diameter.

Bark.--Almost smooth.

Color.--Scheeles Green 860/3 (HCC).

thorns and Prickles.--None.

Hairs.--Few. Color.--Pure White, Plate No. 1 (K).

THE FLOWER

Blooming Habit: Abundant and continuous.

Size: Medium large--3 to 4 inches in diameter when fully opened.

Borne: One to three to a stem--disbudded commercially to a singleflower--on strong stems of medium length.

Shape: Full and high centered, at first, with petals very tightly rolledoutward; becoming open with petals very loosely rolled outward atmaturity.

Petalage: Double, with 25 to 30 petals regularly arranged.

Shape of Petals.--Ovate with mucronate apex, intermediate petals havingone notch and inside petals having one or two notches.

Texture.--Moderately thick.

Aspect.--Velvety on inside and outside surfaces.

Color of Petals:

A. The following description is from a flower newly opened in August1975.

Outside Petals

Outside Surface: Amaranth Rose 530 (HCC) with a base of Empire Yellow603/1 (HCC).

Inside Surface: Roseine Purple 629/2 (HCC) with a base of Empire Yellow603/1 (HCC).

Intermediate Petals

Outside Surface: Amaranth Rose 530 (HCC) with base of Empire Yellow603/3 (HCC).

Inside Surface: Roseine Purple 629/2 (HCC) with base of Empire Yellow603/1 (HCC).

Inner Petals

Outside Surface: Amaranth Rose 530 (HCC) with base of Empire Yellow603/3 (HCC).

Inside Surface: Roseine Purple 629/2 (HCC) with base of Empire Yellow603/2 (HCC).

B. The following data is from observations of a flower opened for threedays in September 1975.

Outside Petals

Outside Surface: Amaranth Rose 530/1 (HCC) with Primrose Yellow 601/3(HCC) at the base.

Inside Surface: Mallow Purple 630/2 (HCC) with Primrose Yellow 601/2 atthe base.

Intermediate Petals

Outside Surface: Amaranth Rose 530/2 (HCC) with Primrose Yellow 601/3(HCC) at the base.

Inside Surface: Amaranth Rose 530/1 (HCC) with Primrose Yellow 601/2(HCC) at the base.

Inner Petals

Outside Surface: Amaranth Rose 530/2 (HCC) with Primrose Yellow 601/3(HCC) at the base.

Inside Surface: Mallow Purple 630/3 (HCC) with Primrose Yellow 601/2(HCC) at the base.

General Color Effect of Open Bloom:

Newly Opened Flower,--Roseine Purple 629/2 (HCC)

three Days Open Flower.--Amaranth Rose 530/1 (HCC)

Persistence: Flower petals hang on and dry.

Fragrance: Strong tea.

Flower Longevity: 5 to 7 days at living room temperatures in August.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens: Many in number, regularly arranged about the pistils.

Filaments.--Of Medium length, many with anthers.

Color.--Barium Yellow 503 (HCC).

anthers.--Medium in size. All open at once.

Color.--Primrose Yellow 601/2 (HCC) overlaid with Apricot 609/2 (HCC).

pollen.--Abundant.

Color.--Cadmium Orange 8/1 (HCC).

Pistils: Medium in number.

Styles.--Uneven and of medium length, moderately thin and bunched.

Color.--Pure White, Plate No. 1 (K).

color of Stigmas: Pure White, Plate No. 1 (K).

Ovularies: All encased in calyx.

Hips and Seeds: None.

My new variety of rose plant is superior to its seed parent, SterlingSilver, because it is a floribunda, whereas the seed parent is a hybridtea rose. This new plant produces considerably more flowers throughoutthe entire year and is a distinct novelty because of its lavender flowercolor and strong fragrance. The new plant bushes more profusely thaneither of its parents and through this cross has more vigor andincreased production.

The new plant most nearly resembles Angel Face (U.S. Plant Pat. No.2,792) in color but has the advantage of forcing well all year withoutbeing affected by short days and cloudy weather. Because of the unusuallavender color and strong aroma of its flowers, this new plant is adistinct departure from the ordinary standards of most modern floribundavarieties.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant substantially asherein shown and described, characterized by the lavender coloration andstrong fragrance of its blooms, which are borne on strong stems ofmedium length, and by its abundant year around production of flowers ofmedium large size.